Nick Loughlin, Sports Editor with The Northern Echo and friend of Hartlepool's newly-elected mayor, gives an insight into how an historic political campaign unfolded.

STUART DRUMMOND is no monkey. Despite what some might think, he is a sensible, articulate and determined character.

As he said when he announced his decision to stand, and which he repeated yesterday: "I'm just a normal bloke off the street." (if dressing up as a monkey every weekend can be classed as normal)

And now he will be put to the test, under the closest scrutiny by Press, public and councillors alike.

Monkeying around in a furry costume is slightly different to handling huge budgets, hosting council meetings and proving a capable leader of the town.

Educated to degree level and with global experience from a spell working on cruise ships around the Caribbean and Americas, Drummond remains proud of his town and his roots.

As well as passionately supporting Hartlepool United, Drummond also helps run a Sunday morning football team - Hartlepool Old Boys Rugby Club FC.

Pool making the play-offs and extending their season an extra ten days - and right up to polling day at that - can only have helped his cause.

Drummond first breached the idea of standing when visiting Weston-Super-Mare, a place which offers a poor night out - a bit like Redcar but without the class.

Seven Hartlepool United fans en route to Plymouth for Third Division game (a game which Pool lost 1-0 and were dumped bottom of Division Three) stopped at for an unglamorous night out.

Amid the drink and banter, up came the idea. Laughed off at first, joked about later, it suddenly seemed like a good idea.

Worringly, it also did in the sober light of the next day.

And that was that, a few joking mentions apart, until mid-March.

The first meeting of minds was in the Victoria Lounge, Victoria Park, Hartlepool, and must have lasted for all of 20 minutes as a swift plan of action was drawn up.

Slogan - Vote H'Angus, he gives a monkey's; canvassing - no thanks; rosettes - find an Internet site offering its services; manifesto - target the youth, free bananas to kids, help solve the crime and the town's drugs problem, and try to find a solution to troublesome traffic junctions; campaign poster - put together in Microsoft Word.

No high-powered business luncheons, behind-closed-door sessions or marketing talk for this far from seasoned campaigner.

And that was that. The Northern Echo revealed, on April 4, that Drummond was going to stand for election.

Hartlepool United donated the £500 deposit, surely safe in the knowledge that the money would be returned.

On the campaign trail, very little to report, and there was no knocking on doors or pushing of pamphlets. Seven days ago, Pool were at home to Cheltenham in the play-offs and the town was decked out in blue and white.

The town was backing Pool - and we soon found out backing H'Angus as well.

A quick stroll through the town centre and the group was taken aback by the support. It came not only from Pool fans and familiar faces, but from families, pensioners and non football supporters.

Cars, buses and taxis along York Road were all rooting and tooting for H'Angus.

Last Saturday's play-off with Cheltenham, and the second-leg in Gloucestershire on Tuesday night, gave Drummond an extra couple of games to push the cause, much to the dismay (no doubt) of the other candidates.

A sympathy vote after Tuesday's agonising penalty shoot-out defeat? Who knows. People wanting to flick two fingers at the town's councillors and politicians? Perhaps.

Thursday night and Drummond was so relaxed. He appeared more tense on Tuesday at Cheltenham's Whaddon Road before the big game than he was in front of the national media in the Mill House Leisure Centre.

As the hours ticked by, the tantalising possibility turned into a nerve-tingling probability, then a jaw-dropping near-certainty.

The whisper grew louder: "The monkey might have a chance... It looks like the monkey's swung it... It's in the bag for the monkey."

Here he was, Stuart Drummond on the verge of being elected to the mayoral throne and his response: "I'm buzzing."

As other candidates and their associates paced the floor, their brows creased, Drummond stayed relaxed.

And then the moment came - the result of the first count. The returning officer declared Drummond was hundreds of votes ahead of the field. Only a miracle - or a lost ballot box - could stop him now.

The confirmation came at about 2.15am. By then the reality - the impossible reality - had already had time to sink in.

The roar from his supporters could be heard 100 yards away on the Town End terrace at Victoria Park, home of the new mayor's beloved Hartlepool United.

So what next? Well, there's the little matter of running the town, of course. But amid the election talk on Thursday night (or was it the early hours of Friday morning?) the big screen suddenly emerged as an attractive proposition.

Could the scriptwriters and film moguls be casting an eye towards the North-East with thoughts of a new blockbuster: The Night of the Monkey?